Gareth Southgate ‘hugely proud’ of his players after England beat Croatia

• Victory secures place in Nations League finals next June
• Manager delighted after side progress from ‘toughest’ group

Gareth Southgate admitted England have surpassed his expectations after his young side crowned a resurgent year by avenging their World Cup heartbreak and qualifying for next summer’s Nations League finals with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia.

England’s manager spoke with pride about his squad’s development in 2018 and praised his players for showing resilience against opponents who stopped them from reaching the World Cup final four months ago. Andrej Kramaric’s deflected strike had left Southgate’s side at risk of relegation to Division B, raising the prospect of Croatia snatching top spot off Spain in Group A4, only for late goals from Jesse Lingard and Harry Kane to spark jubilant scenes on and off the pitch at Wembley.

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